Brazil’s congress approves bill reducing prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro

Key Points:

• Brazil's conservative congress has approved a bill reducing the prison sentence of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, convicted last year for attempting a coup, overturning President Lula's earlier veto.
• The bill cuts Bolsonaro's sentence from 27 years and three months to 22 years and one month, potentially allowing him to move to an open regime as early as 2028, pending a supreme court review.
• This legislative move, along with the senate's historic rejection of Lula's supreme court nominee Jorge Messias, signals mounting challenges for Lula ahead of a tight presidential election against Bolsonaro's son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
• The new law also reduces sentences for about 280 others convicted in connection with the 2022 attempted coup, while Lula has yet to comment on the veto override or announce a new supreme court nominee.
• The senate's rejection of Messias, the first such presidential nominee rejection since 1894, is seen as a political maneuver involving opposition forces and retaliation for Lula's previous nomination decisions.